Now that the clocks are being wound back to 1992 - the last time the Central League had possible promotion each year to a winter National League (that system was in place 1970-1992 before the myriad of changes by NZF thereafter until it settled down again in 2005) I thought that I would take a look at cumulative results from 2005 when the Central League was reintroduced to the end of this season.
24 clubs have participated over the 22 years but only 4 have played the full quota of 396 matches - Miramar, NCR, Olympic and Wests. Amazingly Olympic and Miramar have precisely the same win/draw/loss record over those 296 matches !!!CL 22 Years.png31.38 KB
Checked out Nix ressies vs Upper Hutt later in the afternoon.
Honestly, a game that seemed to sum up both teams seasons. As individuals, the Nix players were clearly of a higher technical level, but as a team, Upper Hutt were clearly better.
We arrived during first half with UHC already 1-0 up. Second half the Nix really tried to press on but had a lot of static possession and weren't creative enough in the right ways. Upper Hutt just looked so comfortable with the lead even as the Nix kept the ball. Upper Hutts keeper was hardly even threatened, their cohesion, work ethic and defensive position were all outstanding. Then as the game got later on we began to have an inkling Upper Hutt would score again... and so they did, Rio Winkworth finishing off a precise move. The Nix got a goal in added time but it was too little too late.
Massive plaudits to Upper Hutt on their season - the best of the rest and a top half finish. Take out the games against the top 4 and they're 8-0-2. In fact, alongside Napier, the only team to collect maximum points off the bottom four teams.
For the Nix - it looked a very young, inexperienced team, certainly wasn't their strongest reserves XI. Guess they've tried to blood the younger guys in the less intense Central League rather than in NLC, but it's still a rough run of form to end on. Dylan Gardiner and Ryan Lee were the best players for them.
Noah4thenix wrote: Was at Olympic during the 2nd half and the announcer said at the end of his announcements "If we had beaten Petone last week we would've lost [the title] by 1 goal." Which is certainly a funny way to cap off your Central League campaign
Supporters on the bank had been mentioning before/during the match "if only we had beaten Petone last week" so it was an information comment (maybe with a hint of subtext). FYI the last time prior to this season that Olympic drew both league matches with Miramar was in 2013 ... when they lost the league by 1 goal !
I give out info on the microphone - good (appearance or goal milestones) or bad (red card info, games without goals) - mostly for the Olympic fans as I only have stats for Olympic players and often the wind limits those who can hear what I am saying.
In the earlier reserves match today I pointed out at one stage that Olympic Reserves hadn't scored for 200 minutes (to the surprise of the handful of fans) ... and then Olympic scored within a minute !
EDIT - I had been told NCR had won 7-0 but it was only 6-0 so if Olympic had won last week at Petone they would have won the title on goals scored !
Oh that was you, I love what you do mate. I don't get to come by often since I'm studying across the country but I think it's cool how you do announcements at the games. No hate intended, just thought it was a funny thing to announce
- Western Suburbs (Depending on how the playoffs against Springs and Chch Utd go. If Wests go up then Palmerston North Marist are promoted) - Upper Hutt City - Island Bay United - Waterside Karori - Petone FC - FC Western - Taradale AFC - North Wellington - Tawa AFC - Palmerston North United
Looking at clubs coming up, the last time Dale were in CL1 was back in 1999, North Wellington in 2025, Tawa in 2015, and Palmerston North United for the very first time as a club since their amalgamation back in 2023. Going to be very interesting to see what the title fight looks like next year! If Wests fail to go up they'll be nailed on favourites, if not, we could have a new winner of the Central League that isn't Miramar, Olympic, Rovers or Wests, since the formation of this era of Central League. The last club to win the Central League outside of the big 4 was Island Bay United back in 1999.
- Western Suburbs (Depending on how the playoffs against Springs and Chch Utd go. If Wests go up then Palmerston North Marist are promoted) - Upper Hutt City - Island Bay United - Waterside Karori - Petone FC - FC Western - Taradale AFC - North Wellington - Tawa AFC - Palmerston North United
Looking at clubs coming up, the last time Dale were in CL1 was back in 1999, North Wellington in 2025, Tawa in 2015, and Palmerston North United for the very first time as a club since their amalgamation back in 2023. Going to be very interesting to see what the title fight looks like next year! If Wests fail to go up they'll be nailed on favourites, if not, we could have a new winner of the Central League that isn't Miramar, Olympic, Rovers or Wests, since the formation of this era of Central League. The last club to win the Central League outside of the big 4 was Island Bay United back in 1999.
Agree that Wests will be favourites if they don't go up, but also wonder if Miramar and Olympic might be shopping around up there a bit if that's the case.
Quite a few decent underrated players - Marlow-Jones really makes things happen, like that LB-LCB pairing of Tareq John Morgan and Alifeliti Peini, couple of handy Japanese players too.
National League qualifying playoffs Christchurch United v Western Suburbs - this Sunday 2pm in Christchurch Western Suburbs v Western Springs - next weekend, date and KO time TBD Western Springs v Christchurch united - the following weekend, date and KO time TBD
Not sure who this schedule favours - I think based on regional league performance Chch United are probably the weakest side so it's probably between Suburbs and Springs. Suburbs have the advantage of playing that fixture at home, but Springs have the advantage of playing at controlling their fate in the last game.
I don't see CU winning away in Auckland - so for me, Wests should be pretty sure if they win/draw in Christchurch and beat Western Springs. Draw that second game and they'd really be relying on chance imo (unless they absolutely hammer CU in Christchurch).
zonknz wrote: First game 2pm on Dazn, chch utd v Wests.
If Wests won both games this weekend and next... Would the dead rubber 3rd game go ahead? What a bizarre format.
Why is it bizarre ? What other method would work ?
This league table style round robin format (often double round robin) has been NZF's standard end of season format for NL promotion/relegation since the NL was first introduced in 1970. Sometimes this mini league has also included the bottom placed side in NL making it a four team competition.
In 1974 when the format was a four team double round robin the final set of two matches (WDU v Caversham and Eden v Porirua United) were not played since Caversham had already secured promotion to NL 1975. I assume that the same reasoning would apply this season if Wests won both matches.
In 1974 Caversham's promotion meant WDU who had been bottom of NL were relegated with the knock on impact that 8th placed teams in CL1 and CL2 were relegated (CYFC dropping to CL Qualifying for 1975 - effectively CL3). This year if Wests win both matches and make it to NL the knock on impact would include double promotion for Olympic Reserves and Thirds.
zonknz wrote: Better to retain flex of the second week match; the losing side of that match should play the second weekend to avoid a dead rubber third game.
What if the first match is a draw? How do you decide who plays the following week?
The 3 team league format really isn't ideal, even though it's not nearly as bad as when 2 teams out of 3 qualify (disgrace of Gijon anyone?). Springs have a clear advantage playing in the last game and at home.
My idea for future: 12th in Nat League - Relegated. 11th in Nat League - Pro/rel playoffs. Winners of Nth/Cen/Sth Leagues - Pro/rel playoffs.
Two randomly drawn two-legged ties determine two spots in the division for the next season. Makes promotion playoff format easier and prevents a bottleneck too.
zonknz wrote: Better to retain flex of the second week match; the losing side of that match should play the second weekend to avoid a dead rubber third game.
What if the first match is a draw? How do you decide who plays the following week?
It doesnt matter in that case. You need the third game if the first game is drawn.
LT01 wrote: The 3 team league format really isn't ideal, even though it's not nearly as bad as when 2 teams out of 3 qualify (disgrace of Gijon anyone?). Springs have a clear advantage playing in the last game and at home.
My idea for future: 12th in Nat League - Relegated. 11th in Nat League - Pro/rel playoffs. Winners of Nth/Cen/Sth Leagues - Pro/rel playoffs.
Two randomly drawn two-legged ties determine two spots in the division for the next season. Makes promotion playoff format easier and prevents a bottleneck too.
The "Disgrace of Gijon" occured in the first round of 1982 world cup with a 4 team group with 2 to go through, the problem being that the last round of matches were not being played simultaneously, not that it was a group of 3 with 2 to go through
However In 1982 the second round was 4 groups of 3 and there was provision to change the order of fixtures so that the final match in the group had some meaning. From the Wiki page ...
Although the fixtures were provisionally determined in advance, the teams competing in each fixture depended on the result of the opening match in each group: Should a team lose their opening game of the group, that team would then have to play in the second fixture against the third team in the group and the winner would, by contrast, be rewarded by not needing to play again until the final fixture of the group and therefore gained extra recovery time. If the opening game was a draw, the predetermined order of games would proceed as planned. These regulations helped ensure that the final group games were of importance as no team could already have progressed to the semi-finals by the end of the second fixtures
... NZF should probably be doing something similar to guarantee that the last match has some meaning, although I can understand why not as it would mean needing to book two sets of flights and cancelling one after the first round. At least doing it the way they have they can cancel the last match if it turns out to be meaningless.
LT01 wrote: The 3 team league format really isn't ideal, even though it's not nearly as bad as when 2 teams out of 3 qualify (disgrace of Gijon anyone?). Springs have a clear advantage playing in the last game and at home.
My idea for future: 12th in Nat League - Relegated. 11th in Nat League - Pro/rel playoffs. Winners of Nth/Cen/Sth Leagues - Pro/rel playoffs.
Two randomly drawn two-legged ties determine two spots in the division for the next season. Makes promotion playoff format easier and prevents a bottleneck too.
In a normal 12 team league (e.g. Scottish premier League) having 2 potential relegation spots makes sense but this is NZ where normal does not apply to club football. In theory Phoenix Reserves and Auckland FC Reserves could finish 11th and 12th and stay up meaning in your scenario a team could potentially finish 9th and be staring at a promo/relegation match.
Re the random two legged ties ... remember all the fuss with the All Whites and the intercontinental playoffs for the World Cup spot (pre 48 teams) ? Having 4 teams in the playoffs makes the format easier but a round robin is far fairer than two separate ties and fairer ought to trump convenience.
LT01 wrote: The 3 team league format really isn't ideal, even though it's not nearly as bad as when 2 teams out of 3 qualify (disgrace of Gijon anyone?). Springs have a clear advantage playing in the last game and at home.
My idea for future: 12th in Nat League - Relegated. 11th in Nat League - Pro/rel playoffs. Winners of Nth/Cen/Sth Leagues - Pro/rel playoffs.
Two randomly drawn two-legged ties determine two spots in the division for the next season. Makes promotion playoff format easier and prevents a bottleneck too.
In a normal 12 team league (e.g. Scottish premier League) having 2 potential relegation spots makes sense but this is NZ where normal does not apply to club football. In theory Phoenix Reserves and Auckland FC Reserves could finish 11th and 12th and stay up meaning in your scenario a team could potentially finish 9th and be staring at a promo/relegation match.
Re the random two legged ties ... remember all the fuss with the All Whites and the intercontinental playoffs for the World Cup spot (pre 48 teams) ? Having 4 teams in the playoffs makes the format easier but a round robin is far fairer than two separate ties and fairer ought to trump convenience.
I'd be perfectly open to a 4 way round robin too. It would take the same amount of time as the current format!
reg22 wrote: clearly, all three teams need to play each other, at the same time, on the same pitch.
On a triangular pitch! I’d watch that.
Edit: Actually a semi-regular hexagon (for want of a better word) with alternating short and long sides where the short sides have the goals. That way corners still work.
reg22 wrote: clearly, all three teams need to play each other, at the same time, on the same pitch.
On a triangular pitch! I’d watch that.
Edit: Actually a semi-regular hexagon (for want of a better word) with alternating short and long sides where the short sides have the goals. That way corners still work.
reg22 wrote: clearly, all three teams need to play each other, at the same time, on the same pitch.
On a triangular pitch! I’d watch that.
Edit: Actually a semi-regular hexagon (for want of a better word) with alternating short and long sides where the short sides have the goals. That way corners still work.
you've just invented something
eat your heart out cricket max and baseketball
We definitely share the credit on that one, although (warning! Wikipedia rabbit hole ahead!) it turns out we were beaten to it in 1962 by a Danish artist looking to extend Marxist theory. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me as much as it should, nor does the fact that the first known game of three-sided football was allegedly played at the Glasgow Anarchist Summer School.
(Even if the entire article is an elaborate joke, which also seems somehow fitting, it’s worth reading just for its reference to the “1998 two-sided football World Cup in Paris” - just in case it wasn’t clear.)
Taradale's head coach has departed the club after one year. I'm assuming off to bigger and better things but will be disappointing for Dale nonetheless. There's not too many talented coaches floating around in Hawkes Bay either so expect them to look outside of the region once again.
Not sure this is the right place to ask this, but out of curiosity, what are the costs of gaining capital football membership? I've been wondering about this for a bit since you have examples like Oxford AFC claiming that ~75% of club revenue goes to upstream fees; meanwhile, you have Ohau FC (Representing a town with less than 900 residents) coming into existence, and it's made me wonder what the costs are.
Noah4thenix wrote: Not sure this is the right place to ask this, but out of curiosity, what are the costs of gaining capital football membership? I've been wondering about this for a bit since you have examples like Oxford AFC claiming that ~75% of club revenue goes to upstream fees; meanwhile, you have Ohau FC (Representing a town with less than 900 residents) coming into existence, and it's made me wonder what the costs are.
Mods should move this, but it is not a broad cost for a CF membership, but per team, of which the schedule should be on the CF site
Noah4thenix wrote: Not sure this is the right place to ask this, but out of curiosity, what are the costs of gaining capital football membership? I've been wondering about this for a bit since you have examples like Oxford AFC claiming that ~75% of club revenue goes to upstream fees; meanwhile, you have Ohau FC (Representing a town with less than 900 residents) coming into existence, and it's made me wonder what the costs are.
Mods should move this, but it is not a broad cost for a CF membership, but per team, of which the schedule should be on the CF site
Yep, it’s under Affiliation Info - I’ve just glanced at it though, haven’t tried to work out the numbers for a particular team or scenario.
